Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

350 Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
1 Pt 2:1-10 2769; 1 Pt 2:4-5 1141, 1179; 1 Pt 2:4 552; 1 Pt 2:5 756, 901, 1268, 1330, 1546; 1 Pt 2:9 709, 782, 803, 1141, 1268, 1546
Mk 10:46-52 2667; Mk 10:48 2616; Mk 10:52 548

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Reading 1
1 Pt 2:2-5, 9-12

Beloved:
Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk
so that through it you may grow into salvation,
for you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings
but chosen and precious in the sight of God,
and, like living stones,
let yourselves be built into a spiritual house
to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people of his own,
so that you may announce the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Once you were no people
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy
but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners
to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.
Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles,
so that if they speak of you as evildoers,
they may observe your good works
and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Responsorial Psalm
100:2, 3, 4, 5

R. (2c) Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Know that the Lord is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him;
bless his name.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.
The Lord is good:
his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
R. Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

Gospel
Mk 10:46-52

As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd,
Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth,
he began to cry out and say,
“Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.
But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called the blind man, saying to him,
“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?”
The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.”
Immediately he received his sight
and followed him on the way.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading 1 Peter 2:2 – 12

You are new born, and, like babies, you should be hungry for nothing but milk – the spiritual honesty which will help you to grow up to salvation – now that you have tasted the goodness of the Lord.

He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people at all and now you are the People of God; once you were outside the mercy and now you have been given mercy.

I urge you, my dear people, while you are visitors and pilgrims to keep yourselves free from the selfish passions that attack the soul. Always behave honorably among pagans so that they can see your good works for themselves and, when the day of reckoning comes, give thanks to God for the things which now make them denounce you as criminals.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 99:2-5

Come before the Lord, singing for joy.

  Serve the Lord with gladness.
  Come before him, singing for joy.

Come before the Lord, singing for joy.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.
  He made us, we belong to him,
  we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Come before the Lord, singing for joy.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.
  Enter his courts with songs of praise.
  Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Come before the Lord, singing for joy.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,
  eternal his merciful love.
  He is faithful from age to age.

Come before the Lord, singing for joy.

Gospel Mark 10:46 – 52

They reached Jericho; and as he left Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (that is, the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting at the side of the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout and to say, ‘Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.’ And many of them scolded him and told him to keep quiet, but he only shouted all the louder, ‘Son of David, have pity on me.’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him here.’ So they called the blind man. ‘Courage,’ they said ‘get up; he is calling you.’ So throwing off his so cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. Then Jesus spoke, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ ‘Rabbuni,’ the blind man said to him ‘Master, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has saved you.’ And immediately his sight returned and he followed him along the road.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Thursday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time

From: 1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12

Like Newborn Babes (Continuation)
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[2] Like newborn babes, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; [3] for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

The Priesthood Common to All Believers
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[4] Come to Him, to that living stone, rejected by men but to God's sight chosen and precious; [5] and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. [10] Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.

Setting an Example for Pagans
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[11] "Beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that wage war against your soul. [12] Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

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Commentary:

1-3. The liturgy applies this text to the newly baptized (cf. Second Sunday of Easter, entrance antiphon): they are like babies recently born to the new life of grace (cf. 1:23). These verses are an exhortation to have the sincerity and simplicity of children.

Just as little children clamor for their food, Christians should long for the spiritual nourishment that lies in the Word of God and the sacraments. St Bede comments: "Just as children have a natural desire for their mother's milk [...], so should you desire to know the rudiments of the faith [...], so that by learning well you may come to receive the living Bread that has come down from heaven, through the sacraments of the Lord's incarnation; these sacraments cause you to be born again and give you nourishment that enables you to contemplate the majesty of God" ("Super 1 Pet. expositio, ad loc.").

Psalm 34, to which St Peter refers in v. 3 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (v. 8); by applying these words to Christ, his divinity is being asserted (cf. note on 1:10-12). Among the early Christians it was quite usual for Holy Communion to be given during the baptismal ceremony (in which this psalm was sung in honor of the Eucharist). "This hymn", St Cyril of Jerusalem teaches, "is a divine melody inviting us to partake of the divine mysteries: 'O taste and see the Lord is good.' It is not your tongue but your sound faith that forms your judgment. For it is not bread and wine that you are tasting, but body and blood which they contain" ("Mystagogical Catechesis", 5, 20).

2. "Like new-born babies": although this simile applies here to people who have only recently received Baptism, all Christians should throughout their lives have the simplicity and trust of children. "Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 18:3). Spiritual childhood, whereby we always see ourselves as small children in God's eyes is one way of growing in intimacy with him. "In our interior life", St. Escriva recommends, "it does all of us good to be "quasi infantes", like those tiny tots who seem to be made of rubber and who even enjoy falling over because they get up right away and are running around again, and also because they know their parents will always be there to console them whenever they needed.

"If we try to act like them, our stumbling and failures in the interior life (which, moreover, are inevitable) will never result in bitterness. Our reaction will be one of sorrow but not discouragement, and we'll smile with a smile that gushes up like fresh water out of the joyous awareness that we are children of that Love, that grandeur, that infinite wisdom, that mercy, that is our Father. During the years I have been serving our Lord, I have learned to become a little child of God. I would ask you to do likewise, to be "quasi modo geniti infantes", children who long for God's word, his bread, his food, his strength, to enable us to behave henceforth as Christian men and women" ("Friends of God", 146).

"Spiritual milk": this maybe an allusion to the promises God made to the chosen people to bring them into "a land flowing with milk and honey" (Ex 3:8), and it could be that from those words the custom grew in the early baptismal liturgy of giving the recently baptized milk mixed with honey (a custom suppressed towards the end of the fourth century). The expression refers to all the graces our Lord gives in Baptism to enable a person attain salvation.

4-10. Baptism makes us members of the Church. The sacred writer uses the idea of constructing a building (verses 4-8) to explain that Christians together go to make up the one, true people of God (verses 9-19). The whole passage is built on quotations from the Old Testament, possibly ones used in early apostolic catechesis.

The Church is like a spiritual building of which Christ is the cornerstone, that is, the stone which supports the entire structure (cf. "Lumen Gentium", 6). Christians have to be living stones united to Christ by faith and grace, thereby forming a solid temple in which "spiritual sacrifices" are offered which are "acceptable to God" (verse 5). The closer their union with Christ, the stronger the building: "All of us who believe in Christ Jesus", Origen explains, "are called 'living stones' [...]. For if you, who are listening to me, want to prepare yourself better for the construction of this building, and be one of the stones closest to the foundation, you need to realize that Christ Himself is the foundation of the building we are describing. As the Apostle Paul tells us, 'no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 3:11)" ("In Iesu Nave", 9, 1).

9-10. In contrast with those who reject faith (verses 7-8), believers form the true Israel, the true people of God. In this people the titles applied to Israel in the Old Testament find their full meaning: they are "a chosen race" (cf. Exodus 19:5-6), a people convoked by God to sing His praises (cf. Isaiah 43:20-21). Their election is something Christians should glory in; it makes demands on them: Christians are set apart for God, they belong to Him (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:19), for the blood of Christ has been paid as their ransom (cf. 1 Peter 1:18-21). So, they must not remain passive; they have to preach the greatness of God and bring many other souls to Him: "the Good News of the Kingdom which is coming and which has begun is meant", says Pope Paul VI, "for all people of all times. Those who have received the Good News and who have been gathered by it into the community of salvation can and must communicate and spread it" ("Evangelii Nuntiandi", 13).

In this people there is only one priest, Jesus Christ, and one sacrifice, that which He offered on the cross and which is renewed in the Mass. But all Christians, through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, obtain a share in the priesthood of Christ and are thereby equipped to mediate in a priestly way between God and man and to take an active part in divine worship; by so doing they can turn all their actions into "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God" (1 Peter 2:5). Theirs is a true priesthood, although it is essentially different from the ministerial priesthood for those who receive the sacrament of Order: "Though they differ essentially and not only in degree, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are nonetheless ordered one to another; each in its own proper way shares in the one priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priest, by the sacred power that he has, forms and rules the priestly people; in the person of Christ he effects the eucharistic sacrifice and offers it to God in the name of all the people. The faithful indeed, by virtue of their royal priesthood, participate in the offering of the Eucharist. They exercise that priesthood, too, by the reception of the Sacraments, prayer and thanksgiving, the witness of a holy life, abnegation and active charity" (Vatican II, "Lumen Gentium", 10: cf. "Prebyterorum Ordinis", 2).

And the same Council says, apropos of those "spiritual sacrifices" (verse 5) by which Christians sanctify the world from within, that "all their works, prayers and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit--indeed even the hardships of life if patiently borne--all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist these may most frequently be offered to the Father along with the body of our Lord. And so, worshipping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God" ("Lumen Gentium", 34).

10. A passage from the Book of Hosea is applied to the faithful: Yahweh tells the prophet to name two of his children "Not pitied" and "Not my people" (Hos 1:6, 8), to symbolize the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel, for which they deserved to be rejected by God. However, a little further on (Hos 2:22f), when he speaks of the new covenant he is thinking of making, Yahweh says, "I will have pity on Not pitied, and I will say to Not my people, 'You are my people'; and he shall say, Thou art my God"'. St Peter indicates that this prophecy has found its fulfillment in the Church, the new people of God.

"Christ instituted this new covenant, namely the new covenant in his blood (cf. 1 Cor 11:25); he called a race made up of Jews and Gentiles which would be one, not according to the flesh, but in the Spirit, and this race would be the new people of God. For those who believe in Christ, who are reborn, not from a corruptible seed, but from an incorruptible one through the word of the living God (cf. 1 Pet 1: 23), not from flesh, but from water and the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 3:5-6), are finally established as a 'chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation...who in times past were not a people, but now are the people of God' (1 Pet 2:9-10)" ("Lumen Gentium", 9).

2:11-3:12. After outlining the fact that their vocation requires Christians to be holy, the Apostle goes on to describe how their conduct will attract Gentiles to the faith (2:11-12)--exemplary behavior in social and civic life, obeying lawful authority (vv. 13-17); obedience of servants to masters (vv. 18-25); and mutual respect between husband and wife (3:1-7). Finally, he encourages all to practise fraternal charity (3:8-12).

11-12. The letter contains many appeals to Christians to stay true to the faith even when pagans criticize them (2:12), cause them to suffer (3:13-15), or insult them or following Christ (4:14). Some authors, reading these remarks referring to state persecution unleashed by Roman emperors--especially Domitian (d. 96) and Trajan (d. 117)--give the letter a much later date, even second-century date; but all the information available to us favors a much earlier date, around the year 64 (cf. Introduction). St Peter seems to be referring rather to the trials the faithful met at the hands of their fellow-citizens. At that time Christians often encountered misunderstanding, rejection and discrimination, and even the loss of property (cf., e.g., Acts 19:23-31; 2 Thess 2:14).

This context explains why the Apostle encourages these recent converts (he once again reminds them they are wayfarers: cf. 1:1, 17) to lead exemplary lives, so that those among whom they live, although they may initially misinterpret their conduct, will end up glorifying God: "Let your light so shine before men, that they see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Mt 5:16). Good exam- ple is enormously effective in drawing souls closer to God. St John Chrysostom exhorted his flock in this way: "There would be no need for preaching if our life were a beacon of virtues--no call for words if we had deeds to show. There would be no pagans if we were truly Christians--if we kept Jesus Christ's commandments, if we put up with unjust treatment and deception, if we blessed those who cursed us, if we returned good for evil. No one would be such a monster not to embrace the true religion immediately if we really lived like that" ("Hom. on 1 Tim", 10).

In addition to being mindful of exterior difficulties, St Peter does not forget that the greatest danger lies in personal evil inclinations which "wage against your soul" (v. 11). Constant effort is called for if one is to control one's passions and overcome temptation (cf., e.g., Mt 10:38-39; 1 Cor 9:24-27; 1 Tim 6:12): "There are people who want to be humble," St Gregory the Great teaches, "but without being despised; who want to be content with their lot, provided they have all they need; to be chaste, but without mortifying their body; to be patient, provided no one offends them. When they try to acquire virtues but avoid the efforts which virtues involve, it is as if, with no experience of combat on the battlefield, they want to win the war without moving from the city" ("Moralia", 7, 28).

"The day of visitation": this may refer to the time when the Lord will come in glory at the end of the world; but from the context it seems, rather, to refer to his coming to the hearts of the Gentiles through the grace of conversion (cf. Lk. 19:44).

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From: Mark 10:46-52

The Blind Man of Jericho
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[46] And they (Jesus and His disciples) came to Jericho; and as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. [47] And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!: [48] And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all he more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" [49] And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; rise, He is calling you." [50] And throwing off his mantle he sprang up and came to Jesus. [51] And Jesus said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" And the blind man said to Him, "Master, let me receive my sight." [52] And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.

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Commentary:

46-52. "Hearing the commotion the crowd was making, the blind man asks, 'What is happening?' They told him, 'It is Jesus of Nazareth.' At this his soul was so fired with faith in Christ that he cried out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!'

"Don't you feel the same urge to cry out? You who are also waiting at the side of the way, of this highway of life that is so very short? You who need more light, you who need more grace to make up your mind to seek holiness? Don't you feel an urgent need to cry out, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me'? What a beautiful aspiration for you to repeat again and again!...

"'Many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.' As people have done to you, when you sensed that Jesus was passing your way. Your heart beat faster and you too began to cry out, prompted by an intimate longing. Then your friends, the need to do the done thing, the easy life, your surroundings, all conspired to tell you: 'Keep quiet, don't cry out. Who are you to be calling Jesus? Don't bother Him.'

"But poor Bartimaeus would not listen to them. He cried out all the more: 'Son of David, have mercy on me.' Our Lord, who had heard him right from the beginning, let him persevere in his prayer. He does the same with you. Jesus hears our cries from the very first, but he waits. He wants us to be convinced that we need Him. He wants us to beseech Him, to persist, like the blind man waiting by the road from Jericho. 'Let us imitate him. Even if God does not immediately give us what we ask, even if many people try to put us off our prayers, let us still go on praying' (St. John Chrysostom, "Hom. on St. Matthew", 66).

"'And Jesus stopped, and told them to call Him.' Some of the better people in the crowd turned to the blind man and said, 'Take heart; rise, He is calling you.' Here you have the Christian vocation! But God does not call only once. Bear in mind that our Lord is seeking us at every moment: get up, He tells us, put aside your indolence, your easy life, your petty selfishness, your silly little problems. Get up from the ground, where you are lying prostrate and shapeless. Acquire height, weight and volume, and a supernatural outlook.

"And throwing off his mantle the man sprang up and came to Jesus. He threw off his mantle! I don't know if you have ever lived through a war, but many years ago I had occasion to visit a battlefield shortly after an engagement. There strewn all over the ground, were greatcoats, water bottles, haversacks stuffed with family souvenirs, letters, photographs of loved ones...which belonged, moreover, not to the vanquished but to the victors! All these items had become superfluous in the bid to race forward and leap over the enemy defenses. Just as happened to Bartimaeus, as he raced towards Christ.

"Never forget that Christ cannot be reached without sacrifice. We have to get rid of everything that gets in the way--greatcoat, haversack, water bottle. You have to do the same in this battle for the glory of God, in this struggle of love and peace by which we are trying to spread Christ's Kingdom. In order to serve the Church, the Pope and all souls, you must be ready to give up everything superfluous....

"And now begins a dialogue with God, a marvelous dialogue that moves us and sets our hearts on fire, for you and I are now Bartimaeus. Christ, who is God, begins to speak and asks, 'Quid tibi vis faciam?' 'What do you want Me to do for you?' The blind man answers. 'Lord, that I may see.' How utterly logical! How about yourself, can you really see? Haven't you too experienced at times what happened to the blind man of Jericho? I can never forget how, when meditating on this passage many years back, and realizing that Jesus was expecting something of me, though I myself did not know what it was, I made up my own aspirations: 'Lord, what is it You want! What are You asking of me'? I had a feeling that He wanted me to take on something new and the cry, 'Rabboni, ut videam', 'Master, that I may see,' moved me to beseech Christ again and again, 'Lord, whatever it is that You wish, let it be done.'

"Pray with me now to our Lord: 'doce me facere voluntatem tuam, quia Deus meus es tu" (Psalm 142:10) ('teach me to do Thy will, for You art my God'). In short, our lips should express a true desire on our part to correspond effectively to our Creator's promptings, striving to follow out His plans with unshakeable faith, being fully convinced that He cannot fail us....

"But let us go back to the scene outside Jericho. It is now to you that Christ is speaking. He asks you, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' 'Master, let me receive my sight.' Then Jesus answers, 'Go your way. Your faith has made you well.' And immediately he received his sight and followed Him on His way." Following Jesus on His way. You have understood what our Lord was asking to from you and you have decided to accompany Him on His way. You are trying to walk in His footsteps, to clothe yourself in Christ's clothing, to be Christ Himself: well, your faith, your faith in the light our Lord is giving you, must be both operative and full of sacrifice. Don't fool yourself. Don't think you are going to find new ways. The faith He demands of us is as I have said. We must keep in step with Him, working generously and at the same time uprooting and getting rid of everything that gets in the way" (St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 195-198).

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.